Alice & Josh | River Barn Wedding, Poulton-le-Fylde
- Aidan Blunt Cinematic Videography
- 2 days ago
- 6 min read
The day before Father’s Day and the start of the summer heatwave proved to be the perfect setting for Alice and Josh’s wedding at The River Barn.
When we arrived at 10:30am there was still a blanket of low cloud hanging overhead and very little indication of the glorious weather that was about to arrive. By the afternoon, however, the clouds had completely disappeared and River Barn was basking in sunshine.
And what a venue to enjoy it in.
The River Barn sits on the edge of the Wyre Estuary, although apparently I’m the only person who insists on calling it that. Thanks Josh lol.
Surrounded by open countryside, the views stretch across fields towards the River Wyre itself, which becomes particularly impressive once the drone is in the air. Alongside the stunning barn, the venue also benefits from a magnificent manor house and beautifully maintained grounds, giving endless opportunities for photography and videography throughout the day.
WATCH THE RIVER BARN WEDDING TEASER
Morning Preparations
Alice and her bridesmaids spent the morning getting ready in the prep rooms at the rear of the manor house.
The rooms are full of character, complete with low wooden beams that definitely add to the atmosphere.
Unfortunately they also add to the number of times a distracted videographer can bang his head.
I can confirm from personal experience that they are very solid.
While Sarah arranged details and preparations for filming, I took the drone up to capture some establishing footage of the venue before guests began arriving.
Alice had a full team helping her get ready, creating a lovely atmosphere throughout the morning.
One thing I always prefer when filming is capturing details naturally rather than photographing jewellery and accessories laid out on tables. Watching earrings being fastened, bracelets being clipped into place, and final touches being added feels much more authentic on film.
The natural window light in the prep rooms worked perfectly for these moments.
An Emotional Reveal
Before heading to the ceremony, we stepped into the garden for a first reveal with the bridesmaids and Alice’s dad.
These moments are always emotional, but this one was particularly special.
Sarah and I split our positions so we could capture reactions from both sides, allowing us to preserve the moment from every angle without interrupting what was happening.
The smiles, tears and reactions made it well worth the planning.
A Beautiful Ceremony in the Barn
The ceremony took place inside the barn itself.
Earlier in the day, before guests arrived, I had taken a small drone through the natural wooden beams of the building to capture some unique establishing footage of the ceremony space.
The room looked incredible.
One of the first things you noticed was the flowers. Every arrangement was made using real flowers supplied by Vista & Bloom, and the fragrance filled the barn long before guests arrived.
Working alongside us throughout the day were Estelle Lace Wedding Photography and second shooter Ryan from Roll & Stop.
Although it was our first time working together, we instantly clicked. We all shared a very similar relaxed approach to weddings and worked seamlessly throughout the day.
Communication is particularly important during ceremonies. Ryan was shooting from the rear of the room, so I positioned our third camera low to the ground, allowing him to comfortably shoot over the top without either of us getting in each other’s photographs or footage.
Small details like that make a huge difference.
Vintage Transport & Summer Sunshine
Meanwhile, the groomsmen had arrived earlier in a vintage VW camper van.
It wasn’t the quickest journey in the world, limited largely to A roads, but from the smiles when they arrived it looked like they had enjoyed every minute of it.
By the time the ceremony had finished, the remaining cloud had completely vanished and we were left with glorious sunshine and genuinely warm weather.
Guests headed outside for drinks and canapés while Abby P Vox entertained everyone with her singing. Her mix of songs created the perfect atmosphere for a summer afternoon in the gardens and provided a wonderful soundtrack as guests relaxed and celebrated together.
The grounds at River Barn are beautifully maintained, with sculpted hedges, immaculate lawns and one particularly impressive walkway leading towards the manor house.
That walkway became the perfect location for the confetti walk.
Several confetti cannons filled the air as Alice and Josh walked through a tunnel of cheers from their guests, creating one of the standout moments of the day.
It also gave us the opportunity later to capture a stunning elevated view looking directly down onto the couple using the same elegant pathway.
Lawn Games, Speeches & A Private Moment
There was also a selection of lawn games available for guests throughout the afternoon.
Although, if we’re being honest, I think some of the adults were enjoying them even more than the children.
As guests continued to enjoy the sunshine outside, the team at River Barn transformed the ceremony room ready for the wedding breakfast.
Once everything was finished, Alice and Josh were invited in for a first look at the room before everyone else entered.
These moments are always lovely because couples rarely get much time alone on their wedding day.
As luck would have it, I had the indoor drone in the air at exactly the right moment and managed to capture a beautiful shot as they shared a quiet dance together in the newly transformed room.
One of those completely natural moments that couldn’t have been staged better if we’d tried.
For the speeches, we attached a small recorder directly to the microphone that was passed between speakers and covered everything with three cameras, one on the speaker, one on the top table, and one capturing guest reactions.
This setup gives us plenty of options when editing and ensures we never miss those important laughs, tears, and reactions from around the room.
Dinner was a fantastic roast beef meal and, after spending most of the day filming in the heat, myself, Sarah, Estelle and Ryan were all very grateful for a well earned sneaky shandy before the evening celebrations began.
Golden Hour & An Incredible Evening
Before the evening entertainment got underway, we took Alice and Josh for a short walk around the grounds.
The light at that time of day was absolutely beautiful.
Warm sunshine, long shadows, and perfectly manicured gardens gave us the opportunity to capture some stunning footage and photographs without keeping them away from their guests for too long.
One of my favourite shots from the day was a silhouette kiss against the evening sun, while another was a top down drone shot showing the geometry of the gardens and pathways surrounding River Barn.
The venue looks fantastic at any time of day, but there is something special about those final moments of sunlight before sunset.
We also managed to persuade the bridal party and groomsmen to join us for something a little different.
Armed with two bottles of champagne, Alice and Josh stood front and centre while everyone sprayed champagne into the air around them.
It made for some brilliant footage and photographs and looked spectacular on camera.
I was slightly concerned about standing in the middle of it all whilst filming, but somehow, despite there being champagne droplets all over the floor afterwards, I emerged completely dry.
A minor miracle considering my usual luck.
The evening celebrations were then handed over to The DFC Experience, who brought singers, a saxophonist and a drummer to get the party started.
The energy on the dance floor quickly went up a level.
Following a cake cut by Sweet Revenge Cake Shop, Alice and Josh headed into their first dance beneath a shower of gold confetti cannons, creating the perfect start to the evening party.
And before we packed everything away and headed home, there was one final highlight.
A couple of slices of pizza from Dough Boy Events. Possibly the best pizza in the North West and a very welcome end to a fantastic day.
A huge congratulations to Alice and Josh and thank you for allowing us to capture such a special day.
Suppliers
Venue River Barn, Poulton-le-Fylde
Photography Estelle Lace Wedding Photography @estellelaceweddingphotography
Second Shooter Ryan, Roll & Stop @rollandstop_
Videography Aidan Blunt Cinematic with Sarah
Flowers Vista & Bloom @vistaandbloom
Dress Ava Rose Hamilton @avarosehamilton
Suits Amelia’s Menswear @menswear_amelias
Makeup Ora Makeup @oramakeup
Hair Jessica Ann Hairdressing
Hair April Elizabeth Hair & Beauty @aprilelizabeth_hairandbeauty
Live Singer Abby P Vox @abbypvox
Venue Styling The Venue Edit @thevenueedit_
Photobooth You Booth Photobooth @youboothphotobooth
Evening Entertainment The DFC Experience @thedfcexperience
Cake Sweet Revenge Cake Shop @sweetrevenge_cakeshop
Evening Food Dough Boy Events @doughboyevents
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